Friction clutch



om. 19 192e. 1,603,295

. C. RUESENBERG FRICTION CLUTCH Filed oct 12, 1925 Patente@ oci. 19, 192e.

UNITED STATES PAT-ENT 4oi-"r-'ics cam. miEsENBERG, or nocxronn, fLLINoIs, AssIGNoR To Rocxronn DRILL-'mo MAGHINE COMPANY, or nocxronn, ILLINoIs, CORPORATION or ILILmoIs Y FRIcTroN CLUTCH. s

application mea october 12, '1925. seiai No. 61,932.

This invention relates to friction clutches of the disk ty e and more particularly 'to such clutches esigned to be suited especialv ly to the'rcquirementsof motor vehicles. I Clutches of the kind referredto have been provided having a driven clutch ldisk which secured. cushioned engagement and consequently gradualpower. take-up by being' flexed or distorted. In one form, these v disks were stamped to rovide an undulated riction pads to dis-v rim portion bearing tort the disk upon the application of pressure fronr a driving element for a power take-up This type of disk has been found 15 impractical and unsatisfactory for the reason that, the metal, having been placed under an initial strain, quite readily v fatigues and Aafte a time does not possess the required, in erent resilience to resume the normal undulated form onA disengagement of' the clutch and, as a consequence, there 1s no gradual power take-up andthe clutch will grab and chatter.

flat rim portion wasslotted radially at regular intervals with friction pads mounted alternately on opposite faces of the disk on the The sectors were intended 4to vhavexthe desired re silience to provide. a gradual .power take-upsectors formed between the slots.

.and on the release of the clutch to resume the normal fiat undistorted shape. How-V ever, there was nothing to limit the extent of the flexing `of the sectors by the action of the in opposite directions byl theLdriving elen'ients and frequently theA sectors came 1n direct contact with the driving elements, resulting in scraping and, of course, in noisy. andin` eicient power transmission.` Also' the metalx after a time fatigued and the sectors were apt-t0 be bent-out of alignment thus throwving the clutch out of balance and ,causing grabbing and 'chattering becauseof the inability to secure vany furthergradual power take-up. Y i c The principal object of the 'present invention is' to avoid, as far as practicable, the objectionable `features present in the previous typesof friction clutches above described. Accordingto thepresent invention,` a perfectly flat clutch disk is provided having sectors formed abouty the y'rim there- 'of by regularly spacedradial slots enteringfrom the periphery of the disk, the sectors Clutch disks of the type .referred to have'also benl providedwhere a pads when pressure was applied to the pads -ing drawing, wherein- Y engagement with the 'sa having friction pads of one thickness mounted alternately on opposite faces ofsaid disk,.and having a second set offriction.- pads of less thickness mounted alterlnately 0n opposite faces of the diskinter-A mediate the first mentioned pads. This arrangement disposes each of the .thinner padson the opposite face of a sector from a thicker pad. The thinner pads function to limit the possible extent of distortion'that may be produced by the action of the thicker pads.' At the same-time they constitute in effect half of the total available frictional driving surface of the disk so that upon.ini tial engagement ofthe clutch there is a' rela-l tively light partial po-wer take-up due to the engagement of the thicker pads and, after f distortion of lthe disk in the iexing of the sectors thereof. in opposite directions by the thicker pads, the thinner pads come into engagement and provide with the thicker padsa. full and substantially' complete lpower take-up. By virtue ofthe. factthat the disk is formed `perfectlyilat so that no strains are set up in the metal thereof 'at the outset and 80 further because thereis only a limited distortion thereof in the operation of the clutch, the disk will always resume its 'normal undistorted shape upon the release ofthe clutch and there is every insurance of continuous satisfactory Aservice and muchr f longer life. Furthermore, the resilienceof the disk being preserved, `there isalways. a' cushioned engagement and consequent gradualpower take-up and never a grabbing and 00 chattering of the clutch.

The invention ismore fully described in the course of the following specification in which reference is made'to the accompany- L05. Figure 1 is a face.-'view of a friction' clutch disk made in accordance with my invention; f

Fig. 2`is a' cross-section taken on the lino' 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the 100 arrows; 4'F-ig. 3 is a developed section taken on the -arcuate line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and showing the relationship'of the parts on initial the clutch; andV Fig. 4 is a similar section' illustrating the fully engaged condition of the clutch.

es j

driving elements of Throughoutthe views, Afthe same reference numerals are applied to corresponding-parts.

.In friction clutches of the kind mentioned, motion is transmitted from a drivingvshaft or motor tothe driven clutch disk 5 by two oppositely disposed pressure plates 6 and 7 which rotate with the driving shaft andv may be brought together under spring .pressure or the like by any suitable means,

for driving the disk 5 by frictional engagement therewith about its rim portion. The

. plates 6 and 7 may be regarded as the pres- 'power transmission. The rim portion of the disk 5 is divided into quadrant sectors 8 by radial slots or kerfs 9 entering the rim of the disk from the periphery thereof. These l p into the gear box.

slots are preferably struck out of the per-.

fectly flat sheet metal of the disk as are also .a number of lightening holes 10 and holes to receive the rivets 11 for securing the disk 5 on a collar 12, arranged to have a splined connection with the driven shaft extending Thev sectors 8 lhave friction pads 13' mounted alternately on opposite sides of ad-y jacent sectors and other friction pads 14 mountedrespectively on the opposite side of the disk'from the iirst mentioned pads and arranged intermediate the same. It will be noted vthatthe pads 13 are relatively thick and the pads 14 relatively thin. The arrangement of the pads disposes a thick pad 13 on one side of a sector with a thin pad 14 on the opposite side, the adjacent sector having the reverse arrangement of pads and so on around the disk. It will thus be seen that, in the operation of the clutch, the pads 13 will first come into frictional contact with the plates 6 and 7. -In the event there is the slightest irregularity in the thickness of the pads 13,'the disk 5 will accommodate such irregularity by its splined connection with the driven shaft. In other wordshalf oflthe total available frictional engaging surfaces of the disk will' be brought into full engagement with the driving plates on` the initial engagement of the clutch. As the pressure plate moves in closer to the iiywheel, the pads 13 fiex the sectors 8 in opposite directions so that there is a cushioned engagement and the plate is distortedl more and more. in a gradual power take-up. There is a certain amount of' possible slippage betwcn the pads and the plates so long as only the pads 13 are in engagement. Obviously, the possibleslippage decreases as the' pressure thereon increases in the flexing of the sectors until the condition arises where the pads 14 come into engagement with the driving plates in the full engagement of the clutch; then the total available the distortion of the disk. The sctors foff the disk preserve their inherent resilience as the metal cannot take a set when itfis not permitted to 'flex beyond a predetermined extent. As a result.l theclutch far outlives previous clutches of a similar type-and will never grab or chatter as previous clutches frequently did-` where the disks had taken a4 set in their distorted shape. the pads 14 serve to complete a substantially continuous frictional engaging surface on both faces of the disk, as will be noted in Fig. 4. A further advantage 'in the use of the pads 14 in connection with the pads'13 is that it enables a variation in the design Iof different clutches to take care of different powered motors by simply varying the possiblel extent of distortion by a variation in the thickness of the pads 13. Where the pads 13 and 14 are properly proportioned, there is no llikelihood of stalling a motor nor, on the other hand, isthere a likelihood 'of slippage, and longer life in a clutch is secured.

The pads 13 and 14 are preferably of the same dimensions as ide from their dierence in thickness and are of arcuateform and made of asbestos molded or woven material. Thepads are secured together to the sectors Furthermore,

of the disk by hollow rivets 15 which are preferably slightly counter-sunk to avoid contact with the driving-plates.

lt is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects prefaced above and while I have illustrated but a single working' embodiment it should be understood that considerable change might be made in the design and arrangementof the parts without departing froml the spirit and scope of the vinvention as expressed 1n the appended claims.

What claim is:

1. A friction clutch ldisk having a plurality of friction pads of a certain thickness mounted at intervals on both faces of said disk, and a plurality of other friction pads of a different thickness mounted on both faces of said disk intermediate the first mentioned pads. l

2. A friction clutch disk having a plurality of friction 'pads of a certain thickness mounted alternately on opposite faces of said disk, and a plurality of otherfriction pads lof a diiferent thickness mounted alternately on opposite faces of said disk intermediate the iirst mentioned pads so that the pads of one thickness occur on the opposite face of the disk from the pads of the other thickness.

3. A friction clutch disk having a plurality1 of friction pads mounted thereon and arranged Ato produce distortionv of the disk lis as pressure is applied lto said pads .in oppo- `site directions by pressure elements approaching from opposite sides of the isk, and means to engage one of the elements Cforklimiting the extent of distortion of said 4. A friction clutch disk having a plurality of friction pads of a certain thickness arranged on the opposite faces of said disk to distort said disk as pressure is applied to said pads in opposite directions, and a plurality of auxiliary pads of less thickness than the first mentioned pads arranged with respect to said rst mentioned pads to limit the distortion of the plate.

5. In a clutch, the combination of a distortable driven element and a pair of driving elements arranged to apply pressurein opposlte directlons to said driven element .for frictionally driving the same in distorted condition, the (zo-acting frictional engaging surfaces of said' driving ,and driven elements being divided into two portions, namely a portion arranged to commence the distortion .of said driven element and provide an initial light partialV power takeup, and another portion which limits the` lextent to whichr said element can be dis-y torted by .the first portion and provides with the vfirst portion on the full engagement of said elements a full and substantially complete power take-up.

6. In a-clutch, the combination of a: distortable driven element, and a driving element for distorting and frictionally driving said driven element, the co-acting frictional engaging surfaces of said elements being divided approximately into halves, approximately Ahalf of the surfaces being engaged tol commence distortion of said driven element for an initial light partial Y power take-up` and the other approximately` l half of the surfaces being engaged to finally limit the extent to which said element will bedistorted and provide with thefirst approximately half of the surfaces on the full engagement of the elementsa full and substantially complete power take-up.

7. A friction clutch disk having a plurality of radial slots therein' entering from the periphery thereof dividing therim of said disk into sectors. a relatively thick friction pad on one side of said disk on a sector and a relatively thin pad on the other side of the disk on the same sector, the next sector having the reverse arrangement of 'pads and so forth, so that alternate sectors have the disk.

same arrangement of pads and intermediate sectors a reverse arrangement of pads. i

8. A friction clutch diskfhaving a plurality of friction pads mounted in spaced relation thereon arranged to come first into frictional engagement with an adjacent surface and be in driving relation therewith tby virtue of the distortion produced in the plate by said pads, and a plurality of auxiliary pads mounted on said plate between said first pads arranged to come Into engagement with said surface after the first pads,l and limit the extent to which said plate can be distorted. i

9. A friction clutch disk having a plurality of relatively thick. and thin friction pads mounted thereon'. said thick pads being arranged to come first into frictional engagement with an adjacent surface and being -in driving relation therewith by virtue-of the distortion produced inthe plate by said pads, and said thin pads being arranged to come next into enga-gement with said surface and limit the extent of possible distortion of said plate.

10. A frictionv clutch disk having annularly arranged friction material on the opposite faces thereof, the material being alternately thick and thin in section on both faces with the thick sections in line with the thin sections on the opposite face of the 11. A friction clutch disk having a plurality of friction pads mounted thereon on opposite faces of said disk to produce distortlon thereof as pressure is applied to said pads in opposite directions by pressure elements approaching from opposite sides of the disk, and a plurality of other pads mounted on'said disk on the opposite face thereof from the friction pads so as to engage with the pressure elements and thereby limit the` disk. 1

12.` A friction clutch disk having frictional driving pads mounted thereon to produce distortion of segments of said disk as pressure is applied by pressure element-s approaching fromlopposite sides-of the disk and other pads mounted on said disk and arranged by engagement with said pressure elements to limit the extent of distortion of said disk.

In witness of the for signature.

CARL RUESENBERG.

extent of distortion of said going I affix my 

